Black Wealth / White Wealth: A New Perspective on Racial Inequality [Paperback]

Melvin Oliver (Editor), Thomas Shapiro (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415951674 | ISBN-13: 978-0415951678 | Publication Date: April 28, 2006 | Edition: 2

The award-winning Black Wealth / White Wealth offers a powerful portrait of racial inequality based on an analysis of private wealth. Melvin Oliver and Thomas Shapiro's groundbreaking research analyzes wealth - total assets and debts rather than income alone - to uncover deep and persistent racial inequality in America, and they show how public policies have failed to redress the problem.

First published in 1995, Black Wealth / White Wealth is considered a classic exploration of race and inequality. It provided, for the first time, systematic empirical evidence that explained the racial inequality gap between blacks and whites. The Tenth Anniversary edition contains two entirely new and substantive chapters. These chapters look at the continuing issues of wealth and inequality in America and the new policies that have been launched in the past ten years. Some have been progressive while others only recreate inequality - for example the proposal to eliminate the estate tax.

Compelling and also informative, Black Wealth / White Wealth is not just pioneering research. It is also a powerful counterpoint to arguments against affirmative action and a direct challenge to current social welfare policies that are tilted towards the wealthy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...challenges the assertions that the failure of black entrepreneurship is rooted in a poor work ethic and an inability to defer gratification. Oliver and Shapiro are not asking for 'special privileges' for black people. They are calling for a level playing field." -- Robin D.C. Kelley, Voice Literary Supplement

"...reveals for the first time the full economic damage caused by the special difficulties that blacks face.... These facts need to be publicized so that white Americans can be made aware of the extent to which the civil rights movement of the 1960s failed to achieve its goal of fairness for blacks." -- George M. Fredrickson, The New York Review of Books

"In Black Wealth/White Wealth," sociologists Melvin Oliver and Tom Shapiro documented the huge racial disparity in accumulated resources." -- Newsweek --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Melvin Oliver is Professor and Dean of Social Sciences, University of California-Santa Barbara.
Thomas Shapiro is Professor, Brandeis University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 2 edition (April 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415951674
• ISBN-13: 978-0415951678
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sound Attack on the Middle-Class Myth, May 28, 2000

By 

Eric W. Macaux - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Wealth/ White Wealth: A New Perspective on Racial Inequality (Paperback)

The arguement that the past thirty years have resulted in a closing of the gap between whites and blacks seems untenable after reading this book. Using wealth instead of income as a measure of success and progress, Oliver and Shapiro argue that glaring inequalities still exist and may actually be growing. Moreover, since creating wealth is far more difficult when one has none to begin, the authors argue that such inequalities are sure to continue unless significant changes are made to the social safety net. These premises certainly call into question the notion of a vibrant black middle class.

Overall, I found the book to be scholarly, yet accessible to those who don't hold a Ph.D. in research methodology. The information was nicely balanced; the interviews complemented the extensive survey data and everything was clearly presented. My only complaint is that the statistical information was not presented in the appendix with the tables. This would have been useful and meaningful to academics reading the book. That being said, the thesis is a profound one, and for all those with an interest in social equity and social policy this is a must-read.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Myth Buster, July 19, 2007

By 

C. Nguyen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Wealth/ White Wealth: A New Perspective on Racial Inequality (Paperback)

This was very well written and had an abundant series of examples to support the authors' main point--with references to government documents, tables, graphs. Oliver and Shapiro can be extremely repetitive in restating their thesis, but, overall, the book was very eye-opening and perhaps a little depressing.

You'd make it a point not invest the majority of your wealth in the home and car after reading this book.